250 ?
 

A small bike is no problem but I would prefer a 250 over a 125 because if you have to ride on a mainroad for a while, it is easier to keep up with the other traffic.
I have been from Holland to Switzerland on a Honda CB125S, avoiding main roads and that was fun but here in the Netherlands I sometimes left the freeway because with a strong headwind I was a riding chicane for the other traffic.
You can not allways avoid the freeway because sometimes it is the only road.

If you go riding in the mountains, a 125 may be a little to small too, depending on your size and weight and the luggage you carry.

If you want a small bike and you can afford a little bigger, I would go for a 250 if I were you.

I ride a 125cc Daelim VS Cruise (1998). The bike is really light, handles ok and is really cheap to run. The only draw back is the lack of power, I feel like I'm riding a blender at speeds above 80km per hour. With a top speed of 105, I try to cruise it at a max of 80, it sounds alot better at 60. The Daelims (Korean bikes) don't have the same quality as say a Honda. So I have to keep a watchful eye on it (Chain especially....I had a chain break while in traffic once).

I bought a larger bike for taking long trips. I also own a Honda CB400. Riding in town its nice to have the extra power and handling, and on the highway it's a real nice little bike. I love riding the 125 in town, it's so light, cheap and good on gas that I can goof around on it with out a second thought. Cheap for commutes, cheap thrills (you can pull a wheely if you don't mind reving that little engine alot with a little clutch work). But if I'm going out for more than 2 hours, I'm getting on the 400cc bike, no question.

I think you will love riding the 125 if you take smaller roads with low speed limits (80 and under - I hate riding it at 100, it sounds awful, it doesn't have engouh power to maneuver safely in traffic and it's a little too light and sloppy). I've been all over on it, but honestly for long distances the 400cc Honda is so much better. I really feel like I enjoy the ride and feel less fatigued after a day of riding the bigger bike. The 125 can be really boring on long streches, the sound gets really tiring, I pull over lots to give the bike a rest and I don't feel as safe on it. I have had friends who have taken their 125cc bikes all over Korea and Japan (where I live) and have loved the experience, but have the same comments to make.

If you had a newer 125 it might be a little better, but 125cc is still 125cc. The Aprillia 125 race bikes are fast and handle great, but they still sound like a blender, they also cost alot more.

A 250cc bike might be a lot more enjoyable and it's still a cheap bike. This bike can handle the freeways of North America and it's still super cheap to ride.

Whatever you choose to do, you'll probably love the trip!!!!

Have a good one.

kris

I also rode a 125 in Nepal (the only bike you can get) and as someone else mentioned, not enough power for the mountains. on small hills we couldn't get the bikes up if we had two riders or too much baggage. We had to walk the bikes up!!! Unloaded they did OK, in first gear (very tiring to ride up hill in first gear for a long time!!!! especially with manic buses coming down the road).

Agree that it can be done with a 125 but as said before a 200cc or 250 will be more enjoyable.
IMHO a 125 is an ideal commuter and designed to carry you and your schoolbag or briefcase over moderate distances off freeways.
You will have to be patient and plan your itinerary carefully if you travel on a 125.
I recently bought a Suzuki Djebel 200 (technically identical to the current DR200SE) for my wife and rode around on it a bit.
What a nice and capable bike! It leaves you with a big smile on your face where a 650 makes you sweat (in sand and mud).
Very nicely build, no cheapskate solutions, just a mini version of the larger DR650.
200cc and 20hp gets you into another class than most 125cc.
The bike cruises very happily at 90km/h and is not too bothered with headwinds and mountain passes.

Smaller cc's is the way to go!
 

Touring on a smaller bike is very possible and enjoyable!
I am currently riding a 250cc Honda XR Baja starting from London to Capetown through West Africa (currently in Namibia). The bike has been absolutely fantastic with no major problems across some of the roughest roads and we've covered over 36,000kms in 9 months.

I recommend a light bike cos it's easy on the tyres, economical on fuel and it's easy to pick up if you ever drop it. Sometimes it's hard to keep up with traffic on the more major roads but like you said you are happy to take the smaller scenic routes!

Best of luck, pack light and let us know when and if you do go.


Check our my site if you want to have a look at my bike,baggage and racks
www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/robbo

125 or 250
 

As stated its really what you make of it as well as the head space you manage to stay in along the way.
125's would seriously lack in the power territory, I feel, especially if you are loaded with camping gear and spares.

I road from Osaka to Barcelona on a Suzuki Djeble 250 in 2002. Along the way I rode with others riding much bigger bikes. Mostly it caused little trouble and I was able to keep up. I did pack VERY light though.
The only time I started to get a little self concious was on the Autoroutes and Freeways once I got to fastpaced Europe...

Youll be OK on what ever you ride, besides things look much better at 40km/h than they do at 100.

Enjoy

125 Ok
 

The case is building for a 250cc engine, so how about re-visiting Simon and his travels:

home

He is a great example of getting by very well indeed on a small Honda.

Bottom line is, you can do it on anything - this remains a "truth" but we all have different tastes and ways of enjoying ourselves on the way.

Dave

250
 

I myself travelled on a 250 xrl and after doing about 30.000 miles with it arround central and south america I will say that if you travel very light , have plenty of time, do not like speed the 125 should do OK, I am sure that you will miss power but if you are too heavy you should be OK, I myself will travel again on a 250 but not on a 125. I had many excelent trip in SE Asia on a 250xr but they hae way more power than the 125.

good luck,

Hendi

Numb Bum
 

Hi, I rode a 125 Honda Cargo last year from Veracruz, Mexico, to Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego. I leave the UK next month to collect the bike in Ushuaia and ride north to my daughter's home in Duchess Colunty, NY. Aged 74, I am no longer sufficiently strong in the legs to support a heavy bike.
Advantages:
1) over 100 miles to the gallon.
2) Spare are available throughout Central and South America - though I didn't need any spares. I bought new and the only mishaps were three punctures in the rear tyre (apart from falling a couple of times thru being stupid and kidding myself that I was still young rather than a pensioner!)
3) A light bike is more manouverable. A few time I came round a corner to find drifts of sand across the tar. - and a dead drop of a thousand feet. Ouch! Same goes for riding happily along on a good surface and suddenly face a huge pothole.
4) Communicatioin with the locals is easier. Locals ride small bikes. A big bike errects a wealth barrier.
Meet bandits, you say, "Hey, do I look worth robbing? There's a rich gringo on a big Harley coming along in half an hour."

Disadvantages:
1) A small seat. I suffered from numb bum.
2) Difficult to keep on the road in a strong sidewind.
3) Patagonia gales, I had to lie flat on the tank to get up to 60 KPH!
4) I climbed to 4,700 metres in Bolivia, for the last few Ks very very very slowly.
5) You can't carry much luggage.

You can check the blog of my journey at home

take care and have fun....

It mite be worth getting a high viz jacket or vest i rode a 125 back from london down the m20 last year & felt quite safe the cars & trucks could see me & gave me room & i found it fun & realy enjoyed the A & B roads . Did a bit of touring on a 50cc when i was 16 & loved it . Good luck im sure you will have a great adventure on a 125 & when other bikers see the UK plate abroad im sure you will get a good reception.
Kev

Hi There,

I've toured with big bikes, mid bikes and little ones and, if you're on your own or with riders on similar machines, then the little ones have been the most fun!

I currently ride a 250cc Serow and have covered around 41,000km's in 19 fault free months.

Just a quick question for you, have you passed your test yet, as provisional UK licences are not acceptable outside the UK?

Hi cameraman, am looking to take my practical this summer so, yes - until I pass I cannot leave the UK on a bike. :(

Great advice from all, it sounds like a 250cc bike might be the best option for me. And if I am being sensible, the Honda CBF250 would be a suitable option. Still have some time to decide...

All seived up
 

I seized my engine coming down from Ripley back to London this weekend and ended up stranded on the M25.

Within 120 miles the oil just vanished (yes it had oil)

We were riding flat out (105km/h) as we were sick and tired of the incesent rain and just wanted to get home.

Maybe it was just bad luck but maybe if we had just ridden slightly slower it would have made it home where I would have been shocked that I had no oil, but the engine would still have been alive.

Once I manage to get the engine sorted within 6 weeks before we leave, we will never push the bike above 95mk/h again.

Oh and no we are not going to change our bikes. The 250's are the best bikes for the job of reaching Cape Town.

ps: to the 4 GS's that I recognised from the weekend that just rode past without stopping...may your armpits be infested by all the germs of all the NHS hospital in London. A bloke on a Fazer stopped and other bikes at least gave recognition.

Another 250cc siezed engine
 

Bossies,
Sorry to hear about seizing an engine - I thought these things to be quite rare in this day and age!!
Also sorry to hear about fellow bikers riding straight past you (and from Ripley too - too big/impersonal a meeting nowadays? :offtopic: ) - a growing trend nowadays?!

Reminds me of my G2 Matchless from years ago which did the same thing with the big-end; that's how I found out that it was a weak point for that particular bike!! :rolleyes2:

Toby,
Don't let these tales of woe put you off 250cc bikes (or the 125 for that matter) - it is just a cautionary to not exceed the capabilities of the bike, not for too long anyway in my case - hammering along the Great North Road (A1) for hours on end.

Dave